Page 4801 - Week 13 - Wednesday, 11 November 2009
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commend the motion to the house and look forward to the government hearing and responding to the concerns of the community and constructing the road on the eastern alignment.
MR BARR (Molonglo—Minister for Education and Training, Minister for Planning, Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation and Minister for Gaming and Racing) (11.32): I thank Mr Coe for bringing this matter forward today. The alignment of Well Station Drive extension separating the suburbs of Harrison and Kenny in Gungahlin is, indeed, an important matter. I think just for the record and for Mr Coe’s benefit, the road in question is actually known as Well Station Drive and not Wells Station Drive. It is not particularly important in terms of the context of the debate, but, nonetheless, for the formal record, it would probably be worth while that the correct title of the road in question is recorded.
I am aware of this matter. I have met with some residents in Harrison who have expressed their concerns about the alignment of Well Station Drive. Indeed, a petition on the issue has been received by the Assembly. This government and previous governments have strived to keep the community fully informed about decisions on planning of new areas to ensure that misinformation and community concerns, such as those in relation to this road alignment, are avoided or minimised as much as possible. As Mr Coe would appreciate, the most appropriate tool which this government and previous governments have utilised to do that is the territory plan and its associated map, which is administered by the ACT Planning and Land Authority.
The territory plan sets out planning intentions, principles and policies for new suburbs, and it graphically represents this information on a map as well as including locations of community facilities and residential, commercial and higher density areas et cetera. Importantly, the map also identifies the location of current and future arterial roads. The territory plan is updated regularly, and the community does, indeed, find this a valuable source of factual information.
Specifically in relation to Well Station Drive, the territory plan map has clearly indicated the road’s alignment since at least late 2003, which was well before any land was made available for sale in the nearby areas of Harrison. The territory plan map also identified that the future suburbs of Kenny and Throsby will be adjacent to Harrison and Well Station Drive. When fully developed, these adjacent suburbs will accommodate approximately 8,000 dwellings and a population of 20,000 people, as well as commercial retail centres, schools and areas of open space, including nature reserves. As all Gungahlin residents appreciate, Well Station Drive is an important component of Gungahlin’s arterial road network and, when completed, will link Horse Park Drive to Flemington Road and to Gungahlin Drive.
Another important fact is that arterial roads are deliberately located in this city between suburbs rather than through suburbs to ensure that local amenity is preserved and that traffic management issues can be handled appropriately. To this end, it is clear in the territory plan that the Well Station Drive extension separates Harrison and Kenny. I am advised that the Land Development Agency sales documentation for Harrison 2 estate stage 4A-2—the area bounded by the future Well Station Drive extension, Horse Park Drive and Well Station homestead—clearly indicated the
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